Startup Chosen Diagnostics won the grand prize in the 2016 BioChallenge competition finals. Chosen is developing a biomarker test to diagnose a common and life-threatening gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants with low birth weights. Dr. Sunyoung Kim presented the winning pitch for the company, a spin-out based on research conducted at the School of Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans that aims to spur earlier treatment and improved outcomes in these fragile patients. A second prize, a $25,000 investment award from the New Orleans BioFund, was presented to Carre BioDiagnostics. The company is developing an innovative, simple blood test to identify those chronic kidney disease patients with coronary artery disease who are at high risk for heart attacks, allowing for earlier treatment, improved outcomes, and reduced costs.
Center Showcases National Expert Speakers at Fourth Annual Innovation Louisiana Summit
The BioInnovation Center presents the key speakers for our annual signature multi-day summit that includes prominent biotech keynote addresses and panel sessions, as well as the marquee event, the BioChallenge, a free pitch competition showcasing four Louisiana-based health and biotech startups. The summit’s mission is to connect the innovators emerging from the state with researchers and industry experts nationwide in order to develop breakthrough technologies that will revolutionize healthcare in Louisiana and around the world.